


Tear You Apart

by SincerelyPenned01



Category: Breeds Series - Lora Leigh
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27732307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SincerelyPenned01/pseuds/SincerelyPenned01





	1. Introduction

Jonas' mouth was in a thin line as he stared at the file that he'd received from the lab.

Test results.

Elizabeth had called him as soon as it was sent. His hand rose to the back of his neck, as it often had when he was uncertain.

Undetected hybrids.

Two had just popped up on the radar, a father and his unborn child. The parents seemed like civilians, but testing showed that the father of the unborn child was a wolf breed, a hybrid that had been adopted with no trace of Breed parents. He had no smell, no markings, nothing that would have led anyone to think there was anything out of the ordinary. The unborn child was also a hybrid. The couple were mated, which was news to them, and the pregnancy was very early on. The man and woman had come into the custody of Sanctuary willingly, confused, and concerned with how their lives were suddenly changed forever.

Elizabeth had been unable to trace their lineage.

There was no telling how many more were out there.

This changed a lot of things. Not quite precisely recessed hybrids, but hybrids that didn't realize they were...hybrids.

Hybrids that were mating.

Hybrids that were not aware of what was happening.

He shifted in his chair, his grey dress slacks hugging his legs as he stood from his chair.

The Genetics Council would lose its mind.

There was a knock at the door, and it opened silently without prompting, bringing him back to the present. Rachel stood in the doorway as she held their newborn, a baby boy with Jonas' mercury eyes.

"We have to get to Cassie's for the rehearsal dinner...you're the best man after all." Her voice was quiet, sensing the unintelligible emotions coming off her mate in waves. She could only guess what the files contained as they hadn't gotten a chance to discuss anything. Amber pushed past her, tugging at Jonas's hand."

“Hur-we!" She demanded, melting Jonas's heart all over again.

He picked Amber up, breaking into a smile, "Let's not keep the bride waiting then."

His eyes were dark with concern at the implications of what this meant.


	2. Chapter One

"Dane, what are we even doing here?" Ryan's eyes moved about the crowded rave, unable to find one thing to truly focus on. The mass of bodies moved in an almost synchronized fashion under the neon strobe lights to the electronic dance music. It was hypnotic.

"A favor for Cain." Dane's tone was practically disinterested, his eyes also scanning the crowd as he attempted to pick up Cassie's scent. Sweat, alcohol, drugs, and lust were thick as he separated the individual scents of people. There were no breeds.

Rye looked at him, an eyebrow raised, but he didn't say another word, trusting his best friend.

Cain, formerly known as Dog, had called and asked Dane for a favor, it was a simple request to follow and check on Cassie and her wellbeing. To make sure she was okay. It had so happened that part of Cassie's bridal party had called her and invited her out to a rave, the one they were currently standing out in. Cain was just as confused as Dane was to hear that Cassie had accepted, this was not her scene by any means, but it was the night before her wedding to Cain.

Cain advised that this was a confidential request, and they hadn't notified anyone else what they were doing, just that they were going for a drive if anyone asked. It was not like someone would question either Dane or Ryan on what they were doing, regardless of the time of their departure. Everyone was so focused on the pending nuptials. Cain had said he couldn't do it, supposedly because he was with Dash, Kenton, and Jonas after dinner with his future father-in-law, future brother-in-law, and Cassie's faux uncle. A real family affair, Dane smirked at the though. Dash was one too many scotches in. They both knew that the bottom line was this was an attempt to respect his future Mrs, regardless of his valid excuse. Cain's scent would also reek and give him away, where Dane had no smell. Dane knew this wasn't a request of harm; it was mostly just a concern, which is something that was not going to dissipate ever for any mated couple. He was still concerned for her, as he always would be and knew Dane would be able to handle this. The Council would still be out for her, mated or not. She was the only one of her Breed, and even if she were mated, she was still worth something to them.

The air was thin, clean, and slightly chilly. It was nearing 1 AM, and the early fall morning was bright. The sky was speckled with what stars could poke through the light pollution of the city. The location was a short drive to the Bureau of Breeds Affairs in Washington, DC. This also happened to be where everyone was gathering for Cassie and Cain's wedding, including Dane's parents.

It was as if Cassie had arrived and simply disappeared into the crowd without a trace. He had weaved in and out of the bodies several times since they had come around 11:00 PM, but she was nowhere to be found. He was growing bored as he updated Cain again that still, there was no sign of her.

Dane was focused, intent, and his frustrations were growing because there were no signs of her. They had traced her there, to the abandoned coal power plant outside of Alexandria, VA. It was on the Potomac River, and it had been left alone as it had not been in use for several years. This was often a popular spot for underground raves that had the feel of the 2000s. Dane snorted to himself at the thought, still focused on the task at hand, and amused as his thoughts wandered to his time during earlier days at raves like this in South Africa.

He broke out of the crowd again, sensing Ryan somewhere in the group of dancing bodies still, searching. It felt aimless at this point. No dice. There were only two options here, Cassie was completely disguising herself with a scent blocker and did not want to be found knowing that someone would be looking for her, or she had simply left as quickly as she came.

Dane broke away from the crowd, stepping toward one of the crumbling buildings that looked less populated, preparing to call Cain for a final update.

The phone rang once before Cain picked up, "Elizabeth just collected Dash and Kenton, she told me Cassie made it back to their room an hour ago. Her phone died. She's sleeping. I can sense it."

His voice was slightly relieved, a hint of confusion still lingering, but this was not the time to delve beyond the surface.

"I'm glad. I won't put my nose where it doesn't belong, but how about we just knock it up to the fact that Cassie just needed to try something new on her last night of legal freedom?"

"Thank you, Dane."

"You're welcome."

Dane hung up. They didn't need to talk beyond that currently. It was almost 2 AM now, and he was growing tired. There were a lot of wedding festivities planned for guests tomorrow, the wedding party included. It was part of another one of Cassie's well-executed plans, and she did not want her guests to be bored before the main event. He recalled seeing something on the initial formal invitation, as well as on the schedule of events. It had also been a stark reminder that was waiting for him, centered on the desk of the lofty room with a bottle of champagne he would not have the opportunity to drink. He would end up leaving it with someone else. He knew about the champagne brunch, exclusively for the wedding party and immediate family of Cassie and Cain. He assumed it was for bonding? Mostly for Cassie. Well - okay - all these wedding-related events were for Cassie.

To paint a full picture of exactly just how extravagant this event was for Cassie, several appointments were available to regular guests at the venue spa for those who had planned it into their day. The services were to be covered by Dash. There was something about a carnival and ponies for the children that were attending before the nuptials. All of these settled in at an informal cocktail hour with an open bar for guests while everyone was getting ready. All of these events had been articulately planned. It was so prepared for that it was down to the science of second before the song the wedding party would walk down the aisle to for the sunset nuptials at the Lincoln memorial before a highly swanky reception at some trending rooftop bar with a view of the whole city. Dash had spared no expense for the resident Breed Princess, and everyone was attending. Breed and non-Breed, politicians, lawyers, an array of people that Cassie considered as close to her as she could.

Dane was happy for his friend. He was excited about his future with Cassie. Cain, out of any of them, was deserving of it.

The sting was still there, as it was every time one of those in his inner circle ended up mated and married, in love, with children. Their lives were branching off for a different future, one of which had remained stagnant for him. It was yet another wedding to attend stag, the preview of his holiday season. It would be another round of holiday dinners and galas approaching with his unchosen flavor of the season on his arm, without any real attachment. The attachment he craved. This song and dance were getting old.

His fingers reached for the cigar case in his pocket, walking back toward the crowd one last time to collect Ryan. He stopped, mid-step, his attention focused on a scent that wrapped around him again. It was a scent he'd found two days ago, one of the orange blossoms, vanilla beans, a hint of lavender and lilac. It was refreshing, clean, and almost calming. It was louder this time, coming in waves, drowning him, pulling him in. It was carefree, wild, whipping through him intensely.

His eyes closed for just a split second, his mind flashing back briefly to yesterday, to his first experience of that scent.

"I quite think that Theodore Jonas Wyatt is an acceptable name Jonas, I am personally a fan of Teddy for a nickname." Dane was talking into his phone, strolling down the sidewalk, a coffee in his hand. He had arrived in Washington from a flight in from South Africa the morning before without a second to connect with Jonas.

Jonas was working from his office here in the nation's capital. It seemed that he was always on working; the Breed affairs seemed to be neverending. Dane knew this was the case.

"I prefer Theo." Jonas' voice was cold through the phone, and it caused Dane to crack a smile, who knew that the Boogeyman of the Breeds would be conversing with his brother about what to call his son.

"Flip a coin?" Dane chuckled, knowing that Jonas was not going to win this battle.

He heard Jonas sigh before they said their goodbyes, he had a meeting and would see Dane later for family dinner when Elizabeth and Leo arrived from Sanctuary. They had been doing things in the labs per usual, and Dane had been busy on assignment in South Africa to follow up on what was happening here. He had missed the actual rehearsal dinner, which had been the night before, but Cain and Cassie understood that an unexpected meeting had come up with a delegate from China.

Dane took a sip of his black coffee, his eyes taking in the bustling city street. It was around 8:00 AM, and the city was alive. Children were at school, businesses were just opening, meetings were about to start, and assistants were still grabbing their coffee and bagels for their bosses, trying to recite the orders from memory without fail, hoping to be noticed. He laughed at the observation of life happening around him. For once, he had nowhere to rush to, no one to watch, no meetings or tasks. He had a moment to pause.

Weird.

He knew where he was and decided he could find a small park nearby to people watch until lunch, or until a beautiful woman crossed his path. That was a thought.

He stopped as he forgot his plan, picking up a faint scent that was too alluring to ignore. It was heavy on orange blossoms, lush, fragrant, peak, blooming, hints of jasmine and lilac, lavender. Floral and relaxing, clean. There were hints of vanilla, even a light layer of orange. It was pure, and unlike anything he had ever smelled. It was faint, so faint he didn't know if he would be able to determine the source. It wasn't like anything he'd felt or even smelled before that moment. It tugged at something he wasn't aware of, a feeling he didn't have much experience with a summer day, carefree.

His feet moved as he inhaled again, carefully navigating and passing by strangers, fixated. He hung a left on the street and found the scent to be more poignant. His sturdy legs carried him a few blocks, almost pushing him harder, aware of his need to discover this scent.

The trail went cold, the faint scent disappearing as quickly as it had come as if it had never been there, to begin with. Dane looked around puzzled, coming to an abrupt stop in the center of the sidewalk. Luckily it was empty there. He couldn't smell it at all. A piece of him felt disheartened, and the scent was so lovely he had wanted to see where it had come from.

Who was producing that?

His eyes glanced into a window from the sidewalk, his reflection staring back at him as he peered into a fitness studio where a class was ongoing. It was a small class, no more than five people, following an instructor through a lower-body exercise. One of the individuals inside paused. It was a woman with features he couldn't quite make out, glanced toward him. Her eyes seemed to lock with his momentarily as she broke out of repetition, dropping a weighted plate she was holding. She was distracted by Dane's towering body outside of the studio.

The usual.

He'd looked away, going back the way he came, unable to find the scent again.

He opened his eyes, and a woman was there in front of him. As if she had appeared from thin air without sound, a magic trick. Not only was the woman suddenly there, but so was that delicious scent.

She stood at 5'6", maybe. Her feet were bare against the broken concrete, and he noticed her shoes were in her left hand. He almost laughed at the sight of that, but his eyes were raking over her, taking her in.

Her gaze was fixated on him. Her hair was dirty blonde, separated in two buns on the top of her head, neon glitter heavily applied to the extreme part in the center of her head that separated the buns. Glitter was also sprinkled all over her face and exposed skin, and mascara applied thickly to her lashes that framed honey brown eyes, her pupils dilated. Her nose was soft, petite, and suited her face. Her cheeks were lively and round, her chin pointed. Perfectly grippable. Her lips were plush and full, slightly parted as she moistened them with her tongue.

It was the woman from the fitness studio. He was shocked at his recognition, but her features were clear as day now.

Dane swallowed, taking her in. The scent that had so intrigued him was coming from her.

It was pouring from her pores, rolling off her like large, crashing waves during the middle of a storm. It was as if this woman was drowning him in her scent. It was like she had no control if it, unintentionally.

He could sense she had no idea.

There was also some sort of psychoactive drug in the mix, one that wasn't common any longer, but that was not related to what had drawn him in, he had ignored it at first. Suddenly, he was aware it was currently in the mix with her actual fragrance. It was fading, though, very quickly.

"You're here." Her voice was soft, softer then he had expected it to be. He felt his throat tighten. She sounded delicate. Fragile. Gentle.

"Where else do you think would I be on a Friday evening?" His voice was colder than expected, heavy with sarcasm, his accent barely there. Still, she stepped toward him. She had shrugged in response to his rhetorical question, and she hadn't fully registered the exact words he said, but god, he was beautiful.

"You're so beautiful?" Her tone was almost inquisitive as she stared at him intensely, her face unable to be read. She lacked a better word for it, for him, under the neon lights and moon.

He didn't move but watched her curiously as she dropped her shoes as if she forgot she was holding them. She was wearing a spaghetti strap crop top, her shoulders sparkling with glitter and high waisted jeans that were ripped and torn. They hugged her body, which was curvy and gentle. He tried not to stare because he was so fixated on her face. He had noticed the goosebumps creeping across her skin, but he didn't sense she was cold. He could not quite sense what she was or what she was feeling or thinking, but he was almost within reach.

He wanted to grab her, kiss her, bury his nose in her hair, and drink her in.

"I want to kiss you." She stated plainly, and he realized at that exact moment when the words passed her lips that the drug he has smelled was ecstasy...but it had faded just as quickly as he had picked it up.

She was directly in front of him now, and he could feel the chill of her skin as she looked up at him. She didn't look confused, he stared back at her, and all he saw was clarity.

A clarity he hadn't expected.

"Normally, I'm the one doing the talking and stating my demands." He was amused, toying with her, but she ignored him. She didn't cower or back away from him, nor did she take his almost playful bait.

His brow almost furrowed. That was peculiar. The typical response would be someone to take the bait, but she was unphased.

Suddenly, the fairy-like woman reached up, her hands cupping his face as she stood on her very tiptoes, her lips finding his with surprising gentleness.

Something else he didn't anticipate.

Dane was taken aback, not just by her scent, but with how suddenly she was kissing him without much warning aside from a verbal cue, but he wasn't pushing her away. He realized he couldn't, the scent of her was enough to consume him, honeyed and delicate, and now it was all he could sense. She smelled free, relaxed, open. It was taking his brain over.

His hands were on her waist, drawing her into him. Her body was soft but firm. She was feminine but strong. He felt the strength radiating from her. Her lips were silky, plump, and moved against his effortlessly. It was as if she'd kissed him before, but this was the first time. She tasted richer than she smelled, almost impossible to comprehend. There was a transfer of their mutual energy, and he felt the kiss deepen in intensity, her fingers tangling in his hair as her lips parted. This allowed his tongue to enter her mouth, exploring the warmth of her mouth and dancing with her tongue.

God, she was luscious, celestial even. Dane had tasted his fair share of pleasing things, food, and women alike. This was on another plane. The kiss wasn't gentle any longer; it was laced with urgency; it felt imperative. Powerful. It almost crushed them both. Her hands started to trail down his chest as she moaned against him. The sound reverberated through him, causing something to stir inside of him, just below the surface. He practically disregarded the fact that they were standing in an abandoned coal mine during an underground rave, as his fingertips dug into her hips.

She pulled away, gulping for air. She was off-kilter, her eyes heavy. Dane's eyes were pleading for more, but she stepped back from him, their eyes were locked, a wordless exchange happening between them. He was unable to speak, something he had never encountered. She was choosing to hold her tongue. Why?

He was turned on, and he could feel that she was. Something was coming from her, but he couldn't be sure what it was. Did it come across as interest? Yearning? Excitement? Sadness? Her emotions were fleeting, dancing for only a few moments before she was reeling them back in. He hadn't expected to find someone he wanted to spend a night with at this rave, but suddenly he was fascinated with the thought, in not only her scent and her body but also her ability to guard herself that well from him. She was a human, non-breed, and nothing about that exact moment made sense about who she was. He was disoriented to an extent, and his eyes were probing into her to understand. She was smiling up at him, her fingers on her lips. He wanted to touch then again, feel her against him. He opened his mouth to speak, blinking, and she was gone, and so was her scent. Completely. There was no trace of it.

He was confused, glancing around frantically, inhaling deeply. Nothing.

The little fairy girl had been a dream.

"Fuck." His voice was harsh as he raised his hand to the back of his head, unable to understand how she had disappeared that abruptly, her scent wholly gone.

As if she had never been there.

A girl, disappearing.

He stalked back toward the crowd, searching faces for hers in the sea of people that kept moving without missing a beat.

"No signs," Ryan was next to him as he weaved, attempting to get out of the crowd.

"She wasn't here." Dane's tone was rough, full of double meaning. His green eyes had darkened, and Ryan didn't attempt to decipher the meaning or bother to dive further.

They had been friends long enough to know somethings didn't need to be trudged up.

They walked silently to the car that was parked on a dark side street that was a short stroll from the rave they had left behind. The doors unlocked as they approached, allowing them to both slid into the car with ease and furthered silence. The seats were cold as the car came to life, the lights turning on automatically as Dane punched in the location of the hotel.

He navigated back to the hotel they were staying at, brooding, almost stewing.

Who was she? He didn't even know her name.

He jeered internally; he felt as if his world had been totally turned upside down at this chain of events that had transpired, and he didn't even know who was to blame. Just "her," "she," the fairy.

Was this how he made others feel when he had chance encounters with them? Had he made a habit of leaving them breathless, unable to collect themself?

It was just a kiss.

Something inside of him stirred again, reliving the moments of that kiss, the taste of her, the feelings she'd allowed him to feel.

He pulled to a stop in front of the hotel, handing the keys to the valet. It was well after 3:00 AM, and he was drained from a mixture of jetlag, confusion, and indifference.

The drained feeling wasn't from the favor of looking for Cassie, but from the unknown woman, the one he had encountered. It was with great difficulty that he was attempting to process their very brief encounter.

He bid Ryan goodnight before they parted ways once through the revolving door to retire to their rooms to sleep.

He slid the key into the door of his room; all the lights still off. Nothing was out of sorts, and everything was still in its place. A piece of him had hoped this woman had found her way to his hotel, to his room, untraceable, waiting for him.

That was not the case.

He undid his belt; the metal of the buckle was quiet as he pulled it off slowly. He draped it over the back of a chair in the little living space. He tucked one of three guns that he was adorned with into the safe. The safe sat on top of the dresser, unassuming to someone who wasn't paying attention. There were two more guns, one on his ankle, the other on strapped to his thigh. Old habits he wouldn't be able to undo. One would be on the nightstand before bed, and the other tucked away in the drawer, just in case.

He sighed, it was heavy and weighted in the silence of the room, as he kicked his boots off gently, still preoccupied with thoughts of her. He peeled off his socks, tucking them into a ball, leaving them next to the dark boots. He folded his t-shirt neatly, along with his black tactical pants, before making a mental note to send these out for dry cleaning in the morning.

He glanced at the slightly open closet, the sharp grey suit visible from where he laid in the bed. Dane was reminded of the wedding, the nuptials, the whole reason he was stateside.

He forced his eyes to shut as he tried to make sense of the little fairy girl, her imp-like features burned into his eyelids as she continued to dance across his thoughts. Her taste teased his lips. Not entirely gone, but not quite there.

He finally drifted into a restless sleep sometime later, convincing himself the only reason he was so stuck on her was that he didn't know her name. This was, of course, after his mind had imagined her again a little less wholesome, way less clothed and more breathless then he'd found her, officially unable to get her out of his head.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this isn't a popular market, but this story has been dying for me to write it. If you do read it, please let me know your thoughts.


End file.
